PLYMOUTH — It wasn't a terribly auspicious start to the season for the Plymouth hoop girls.

The Bobcats scored just two points in the first quarter against John Stark on Friday, Dec. 13, but rallied back and outscored the Generals 16-7 in the second quarter on the way to a 37-29 win.

"They stayed with it and didn't lose their heads," coach Jim Carey said of his team's bounce back from the tough first quarter. "The girls were composed and showed some maturity."

The Bobcats actually trailed 12-2 early in the second quarter after trailing 6-2 after one. However, they closed out the second quarter on a 16-1 run and took an 18-13 lead to the halftime break. Senior Emelia Karntakosol led the charge, hitting a pair of three-pointers early in the run to get things going. She scored all of her eight points in the second quarter, while Amanda Proia had five of her six points in that frame.

"We did that with the 2-2-2-1 pressure and knocked down a few shots," Carey said of his team's run to close out the first half.

Coming into the game, the Bobcats knew what to expect out of the Generals, as they traditionally have a physical team and this year was no different.

"Last year the game got away from us because of the physicality," Carey said. "The girls really played with composure."

The Bobcats held the Generals to single digits in each of the quarters, leading 29-20 after one and upping the lead to double digits in the fourth quarter before getting the subs in.

"In the second half we played good defense and rebounded well," Carey said. "We got up and then just pulled out and played a passing game.

"If we can defend like that and pick and choose when we want to go up tempot or pull it out, that's good," he continued.

Katie Vachon led the way for the Bobcats with 10 points, four steals and three assists. In addition to Karntakosol's eight points, Allison Carey added seven points off the bench, Ann Furbush had some solid defense and chipped in with six points and 11 rebounds. In addition to her six points, Proia also added 14 rebounds on the night.

"It's a great start for us, especially the seniors," Carey said. "It's a great way to start the year."

The Bobcats will play host to Kingswood on Friday, Dec. 20, at 6:30 p.m. (varsity) for the final game prior to the holiday break. The team returns to regular season action on Jan. 3.

Joshua Spaulding can be reached at 569-3126 or sportsgsn@salmonpress.com.